Vols hire Cincinnati's Jones as next coach

Published: December 7, 2012 7:55 AM

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee has hired Cincinnati's Butch Jones as its next football coach.

Jones has a 50-27 record in six seasons as a head coach. He went 27-13 in three seasons at Central Michigan and has gone 23-14 at Cincinnati the last three years. He followed Notre Dame's Brian Kelly at each of those stops.

At Tennessee, the 44-year-old Jones will succeed Derek Dooley, who was fired Nov. 18 after going 15-21 in three years. Dooley posted a losing record in each of his three seasons at Tennessee, the first time since 1909-11 the Volunteers have finished below .500 three straight years.

The school announced the hiring Friday.

Jones had declined an offer to coach Colorado on Thursday, the same day Charlie Strong announced he had turned down an offer from Tennessee to remain at Louisville.